THE PERFECT recipe for a Lazy Sunday Brunch is supplied by Nineteen Twelve on St. Marks' Road. Three weeks old now, the Lazy Sunday Brunch fulfils that urgent need for food that catches the unsuspecting Sunday lover, in the middle of a spell of laziness.

So tool around to Nineteen Twelve and order a very English brunch consisting of eggs, pancake, steak, and gravy. Or indulge in the German Platter (grilled pork chops with mustard-onion gravy and pate). For those who can't decide on what to order and normally like a bit of everything, there's the 1912 Breakfast Sampler.

Veggies head straight for the Vegetarian Thai Platter  steamed rice with green Thai curry, crispy fried vegetables, and papaya salad. For health-freaks and hypochondriacs (prone to Bird Flu blues) there's the Italian seafood platter that's an interesting and delicious combination of fish, fried shrimp salad, zucchini, and tomato lasagne. Also recommended for people who do not fall under the categories of health-freaks or hypochondriacs.

In all, there are five platters to choose from, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, not including the surprise addition cooked up by Joe Manavalan, who owns and runs Nineteen Twelve. That's the Housewife's Special, which is, yes, cooked by a housewife and is something special. So far, the specials featured in this platter have included Kerala Fish Curry, Coorgi Kodambatti Pork Curry, and Chicken Stew with Appam. There's something new every week. A drink comes complimentary. The Coorgi Pork Curry, for instance, tastes great with rum, according to Manavalan. Something to keep in mind when you order your drink. The complimentary drink is usually a wine, beer or soft drink though.

So how does Manavalan go about finding the woman for the platter? Word of mouth. The housewife for the first week was Manavalan's mother, the second was Ashwini Nachappa, and thereafter, it's been word of mouth. One of the specials, for instance, came about when one of Manavalan's customers was praising a friend at the table for a certain mouth-watering dish. Each contribution earns Rs 1,500 and the dish is cooked to serve five.

There's a special touch to a home cooked dish. That extra bit of care and attention that's paid to it, makes the difference between home cooking and professional cooking, feels Manavalan. He reasons that a lot of recipes will die with the previous generation and the best way to preserve them is to cook them.

"Do you have to be a wife or woman to qualify?" I start to wonder. But I'm too full for words, having just tucked in the Mississipi Mud Pie. So I say "burp", apologise politely and make my way out. It's been a satisfying Sunday, yes.

Lazy Sunday Brunch platters are priced at about Rs. 400. Timings are from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Other things to look forward to are the music (1960s to 80s) and the old-world ambience, which includes an early 20th century Picasso sofa set, paintings, and best of all, a piano.